Joel Piroe’s first campaign at the level did not go as planned.

The Leeds United forward established himself as one of the Championship’s top strikers during his four years at Elland Road and Swansea City before that, scoring 73 goals in 179 appearances and winning the Golden Boot in 2024/25.

However, as Daniel Farke’s side adjusted to the additional demands of the top flight, Piroe fell by the wayside. His only two league starts came in the first two games of the season, when Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Lukas Nmecha surpassed him in the pecking order.

Between matchday three and the end of the season, the 26-year-old played just 110 minutes in the Premier League, sitting on the bench 21 times. In the interim, he started and scored in the FA Cup, but missed penalties against Derby County and West Ham United.

With Leeds expecting to strengthen further this summer in order to re-establish themselves in the top division, there has been speculation that Piroe may leave, with Middlesbrough, Birmingham City, Stoke City, and Rangers all expressing interest at the start of the offseason.

Joel Piroe reveals Leeds United’s exit stance

However, Piroe has demonstrated his determination to compete in the Premier League with his current club during the last year.

In an interview with Flashscore, the 26-year-old explained his choice and expressed his desire to stay at Elland Road this summer, dismissing a move elsewhere for greater game time in January.”I just want to prove myself with Leeds in the Premier League,” he stated.

“I had a little bit of the feeling that I didn’t want to run away from the challenge [in the winter transfer window]. “If the start isn’t going as planned, it didn’t feel right to abandon it after only half a season. I thought, “Why leave after half a season when you haven’t played a full season in the Premier League?””I can still see my future there.

“Of course, once pre-season begins, I’ll see and feel more about what the club thinks as well. But for the time being, all I want to do is present myself in a way that demonstrates the progress I’ve made since last season. “If it’s good enough and I get the chances, I’ll be very happy.”And if this is not the case, we’ll see what happens.”

There has been little indication that Leeds would sign a new striker this summer, which would likely put Piroe closer to the departure door.

With the Whites heading to the United States this week for three pre-season matches, the Surinamese international will have a great opportunity to impress Daniel Farke ahead of the new season.

Championship clubs will be swirling if Joel Piroe is made available this summer.

Whether Piroe wants to stay at Leeds or not may be out of his hands if the Whites feel that a sale this summer is best as they try to build on a successful Premier League return next season.

But rumours linking the 26-year-old to Championship clubs have died down in recent weeks.

The links between Borough, Birmingham, and Stoke first surfaced in early June, and it was soon claimed that Kim Hellberg’s side had distanced themselves from a deal, having recently made headway in the signing of Will Lankshear.

However, if it is revealed that Piroe is for sale, there will undoubtedly be many Championship promotion aspirants interested in signing him, given how reliable a frontman he is at this level.

Furthermore, given the 26-year-old’s ambition to play in the Premier League, he’d arrive with a chip on his shoulder and a point to prove, which might prompt whoever ends up acquiring him to recruit a striker capable of scoring 25 goals in the second tier to display his top-flight potential.

For the time being, Piroe appears to be focused on proving himself at his current club. Only time will tell if he’s successful.